Effect of white cabbage (<i>Brassica oleracea</i>) aqueous extract on oxidative stress in pre-diabetes – induced male albino rats

Abstract

Background: Oxidative stress affects serum insulin and induces insulin resistance which results in pre-diabetic condition.

Objective: This research investigated the effect of white cabbage aqueous extract on the serum insulin, insulin resistance and oxidative stress in pre-diabetes induced male albino rats.

Methods: Prepared extracts from fresh and dried cabbage and thirty male albino rats grouped into six were used for the study. The positive control was fed regular diet, while negative control was fed high sucrose feed and the four test groups were fed high sucrose feed and extract. Different test group received 50 or 100 mg/kg of either of the extracts. The fasting blood sugar at baseline and at two weeks’ interval was recorded. At the end of the experiment at six weeks, the serum insulin, oral glucose tolerance test and liver oxidative stress were determined. Results were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (p < 0.05) followed by Duncan Multiple Range Tests for blood glucose and Graph pad prism 5.

Results: The extracts controlled the serum insulin and cell-resistance to insulin of the rats. There was a reduction in the malondialdehyde (MDA) and significant reduction in the activities ofsuperoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) by the extract while glutathione (GSH) increased. The MDA, SOD, CAT and GSH for the negative control group being 0.85 mg/ml, 0.8 mg/ml, 19.53 mg/ml and 5.18 μmol/ml while the highest for the test groups was; 0.84 mg/ml, 0.74 mg/ml, 17.37 mg/ml and 5.85 μmol/ml.

Conclusion: Cabbage had potential of reducing liver oxidative stress in pre-diabetic condition.

Keywords: Cabbage extract, blood sugar, hypoglycemic, oxidative stress